SackTastic
Registered User
- Mar 25, 2011
- 7,829
- 1,915
Sabres are not over the cap now. Bogosian is not on LTIR, and is counting against the cap today.
Looking forward: Even with RFAs Ullmark, ERod, McCabe, Elie signed the Sabres will exceed the cap by ~$2-2.5M, which is allowed (up to 10% of cap) in the offseason.
But note also the Sabres will also need to drop 2 contracts off their current roster by season's start.
If they drop contracts via waivers, only the portion of 1-way contracts >$1.025M assigned to the AHL count towards the cap which means the Sabres can:
Waive Wilson for assignment and only count $25k against the cap.
Waive Hunwick and only count $1.225M against the cap.
Waive Nelson with no cap hit.
They will also have a second window for buyouts in about 2 weeks in August, sometime between the 6th and 10th or so (although I don't believe it makes sense to buy anyone out now, the time for that was before 7/1/19, IMO).
And the scenarios above don't assume any trades (Risto rumors, etc.) because I assume they either won't happen, or (conservatively) would be net-neutral for salary.
So, strictly speaking, the Sabres aren't over the cap now, won't be with the RFAs signed, and have several straightforward means to be cap compliant come season's start, and Bogo's health doesn't need to be factored in (although I assume the Sabres will put both Bogo and Pilut on LTIR for roster reasons, not cap reasons).
But I truly agree they could have used their cap space better since Botts has been GM. Let's hope he gets religion in that regard.
To me, the way things are lining up, Botts feels confident that the Rochester kids will start forcing their way into the NHL lineup this season, which gives him more flexibility to dump some pending UFAs at the deadline for picks, move the kids up the NHL on ELCs, and use those picks to restock Rochester.
This is the same formula that's generally worked in the salary cap era, we just haven't seen it here because the team has not executed it, and tried to buy their way out of the hole.
For me, I don't consider a team to be in 'cap jail' until they reach a point where they start limiting their flexibility more than 2 seasons out. It's why I cringe every time someone suggests a buyout; the duration of the penalty is usually punitive. (They're still paying for Hodgson, although I'm glad he's finally healthy and doing well.) They should be fine to give Reinhart a fair deal after this year, and still have enough room to give Dahlin a big 8yr deal after next year, and that's assuming they don't move Risto.
Only real albatross right now is Okposo, but my fingers are crossed he can find it again.